MPs on Marty report, public companies

The Serbian parliament will continue its session in Belgrade on Thursday. MPs will discuss Council of Europe (CoE) Rapporteur Dick Marty’s report on human organ trafficking in Kosovo, and public companies. MPs on Marty report, public companies The ruling coalition claims that there will be enough time to have a quality debate, despite the opposition’s objections that these two topics should be discussed separately. The government will be answering MPs’ questions about the organ trade, which was requested by the Serbian Radical Party (SRS) and about public companies, which was requested by the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). “The government or the ruling majority has once again tried to avoid a serious talk about both issues, both about the issue requested by the Liberal Democratic Party and about the issue requested by the Serbian Radical Party. Since our two parties, and other parties in parliament, will now take turns talking about Dick Marty’s report and the public companies’ debt issues it is going to be a sort of a circus,” LDP MP Ivan Andric said. “We have requested a session and we got a half of a session because MPs will ask questions about the public companies' work during the other half of the session. Dick Marty's report essentially does not have anything to do with the work of the public companies,“ SRS MP Aleksandar Martinovic pointed out. The public companies’ issue was brought up after B92 investigative program Insajder had revealed abuse in the Kolubara Coal Mine. According to the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS), the debate will not represent a problem even though some SPS members and their partners from the United Serbia (JS) have connections with the mine. “We can discuss any topic transparently and with arguments, I don’t see a reason why, not only the Socialist Party of Serbia but every other political party which currently is in the ruling coalition, would have a problem with that,” SPS MP Branko Ruzic explained. The Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS), whose officials used to run the company, is also ready to discuss the work of its officials in the public companies. “When it comes to irregularities, current irregularities that are progressing, that are happening at the moment are very important to us. When it comes to former ones, there are state bodies that should investigate that, which is perfectly fine because we believe that nobody is above the law in Serbia, absolutely nobody,” DSS MP Milos Aligrudic pointed out. Head of the Serbian Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Dragoljub Micunovic has expressed hope that there will be no unnecessary politicization during the debate on the human organ trade report. “I don’t know the real motives of the Radical Party, but I’m afraid that an attempt to politicize or narrow this down to something more specific won’t contribute to success of the investigation and of course to what we want, and that’s to reveal the complete truth,” he said. According to the rules of procedure, the government will have 180 minutes to answer MPs’ questions. Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic will also attend the session. The Serbian parliament (Tanjug, file)

MPs on Marty report, public companies

The ruling coalition claims that there will be enough time to have a quality debate, despite the opposition’s objections that these two topics should be discussed separately.

The government will be answering MPs’ questions about the organ trade, which was requested by the Serbian Radical Party (SRS) and about public companies, which was requested by the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).

“The government or the ruling majority has once again tried to avoid a serious talk about both issues, both about the issue requested by the Liberal Democratic Party and about the issue requested by the Serbian Radical Party. Since our two parties, and other parties in parliament, will now take turns talking about Dick Marty’s report and the public companies’ debt issues it is going to be a sort of a circus,” LDP MP Ivan Andrić said.

“We have requested a session and we got a half of a session because MPs will ask questions about the public companies' work during the other half of the session. Dick Marty's report essentially does not have anything to do with the work of the public companies,“ SRS MP Aleksandar Martinović pointed out.

The public companies’ issue was brought up after B92 investigative program Insajder had revealed abuse in the Kolubara Coal Mine.

According to the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS), the debate will not represent a problem even though some SPS members and their partners from the United Serbia (JS) have connections with the mine.

“We can discuss any topic transparently and with arguments, I don’t see a reason why, not only the Socialist Party of Serbia but every other political party which currently is in the ruling coalition, would have a problem with that,” SPS MP Branko Ružić explained.

The Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS), whose officials used to run the company, is also ready to discuss the work of its officials in the public companies.

“When it comes to irregularities, current irregularities that are progressing, that are happening at the moment are very important to us. When it comes to former ones, there are state bodies that should investigate that, which is perfectly fine because we believe that nobody is above the law in Serbia, absolutely nobody,” DSS MP Miloš Aligrudić pointed out.

Head of the Serbian Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Dragoljub Mićunović has expressed hope that there will be no unnecessary politicization during the debate on the human organ trade report.

“I don’t know the real motives of the Radical Party, but I’m afraid that an attempt to politicize or narrow this down to something more specific won’t contribute to success of the investigation and of course to what we want, and that’s to reveal the complete truth,” he said.

According to the rules of procedure, the government will have 180 minutes to answer MPs’ questions. Prime Minister Mirko Cvetković will also attend the session.